1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat sink assemblies, and in particular to a heat sink assembly incorporating a fan which is releasably attached to a heat sink.
2. Prior Art
Developments in today's highly information-intensive society have led to remarkable improvements in performances of electronic devices. During operation of many contemporary electronic devices, large amounts of heat are produced. Such heat must be efficiently removed from the electronic device, to prevent the system from becoming unstable. Typically, a heat sink is attached to an outer surface of the device to facilitate removal of heat therefrom. A fan is often attached to the heat sink to provide forced air convection therefrom.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional heat sink assembly, which includes a heat sink 70 and a fan 80. A plurality of fins 74 extends upwardly from a base 72 of the heat sink 70. The fan 80 is essentially a rectangular box, with a through hole defined in the vicinity of each corner thereof. In assembly, a tool such as a screwdriver (not shown) must be used to drive screws 76 through the corresponding through holes such that screws 76 engage with the fins 74 of the heat sink 70. Some fastening means (not shown, for example a clip, fastening screws etc) are received under the fan 80 for fixing the heat sink 70 to a top surface of a CPU. However, when a user needs to drive the fastening screws to attach the heat sink assembly to a computer or replace the clip, it is often required to detach the fan 80 from the heat sink 70. It is inconvenient to draw the screws for detaching the fan 80 from the heat sink 70. Furthermore, there is an industry trend whereby the fins 74 are being made thinner and thinner. Thus the fins 74 are more frequently being distorted or even damaged when the screws 76 are engaged therewith.